Beet topping and loading apparatus.



R. H; MOORE. BEET TOPPING AND LOADING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 001?. 10, 1910.

1 ,024, 142, Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

2 sums-sum 1.

R. H. MOORE.

BEET TOPPING AND LOADING APPARATUS.

' APPLIOATION FILED 00T.10, 1910.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912;

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

RALPH I-I. MOORE, 0F SPRECKELS, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO SPRECKELS SUGARCOM- PANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION.

BEET TOPPING AND LOADING APPARATUS.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH H. MOORE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Spreckels, in the county ofMonterey and State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Beet Topping and Loading Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The hereinafter described invention relates to an apparatus which may bereadily and conveniently moved from place to place within the field ofwork for the topping of beets and loading of the same directly intowagons situated alongside of the apparatus for receiving the toppedbeets, the object being to provide a practical machine for expeditiously severing the tops from the beets and delivering the toppedbeets into wagons to be loaded, the topping and loading of the beetsbeing carried out as a continuous operation.

Under the present system of treating beets within the field, the toppingof the beets and the loading of the topped beets into wagons areperformed as independent operations and charged for separately, thedouble expense thus incurred adding materially to the cost of the beetsfor sugar manufacturing purposes. It is this double handling of thebeets which the present in vention mainly seeks to obviate and by sodoing reducing the expense incident to the topping and loading of thebeets and like wise materially expediting the work in gen eral.

The invention resides in the novel arrangement of the working parts formechanically topping the beets, separating the severed tops therefrom,and automatically conveying the topped beets to wagons to be loaded,whereby the topping and loading is performed as a single or continuousoperation.

To comprehend the invention, reference should be had to the accompanyingsheets of drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus.Fig. 2 is a front View with the inclined planes removed in order toillustrate the drive connections for the various working parts. Fig. 3is an enlarged broken detail view of one of the endless carriers,illustrating one of the beet holding shelves attached thereto. Fig. 4:is a detail end view Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 10, 1910.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912. Serial No. 586,199.

of the holder disclosed by Fig. 8 of the drawings.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 is used to indicate any suitable form offrame, which is supported by means of the forward wheels .2 and the rearsteering wheel 3. Any desired means may be employed for propelling thewheeled frame from place to place within the field of work, butpreference is given to the use of a gasolene engine 1, which is mountedon the base structure of the supporting frame. The engine shaft 5 isconnected to the axle 6 of the forward wheel 2 by means of the driveconnection 7 so that motion is transmitted from the engine shaft foractuating the portable structure.

In the present case, a plurality of incline planes 8 are provided at thefeed end of the machine, at the base of each being arranged a receivingtable or platform 9, onto which the beets to be topped are placed. Overthese inclined planes work the beet supporting shelves 10, which areattached to and carried by means of the endless chain carrier 10, two ofwhich, in the present case, are provided for each of the inclinedplanes. These endless chain carriers work over the sprocket wheels 11and 12, located at the upper and lower ends respectively of the inclinedplanes 8. The said incline planes 8 serve as supports for the shelves10, during the upper run thereof, each of said shelves being connectedto the carrier chains by a lug 13, which, during the upward movement ofthe shelves, work through the longitudinal slots 13 in the said inclinedplanes 8. Each shelf 10 is provided with a projection or tooth 14:, ontowhich the beet is impaled and held firmly in place as conveyed up theinclined planes 8. I11 fact, this impaling tooth or projection holds thebeet at its uppermost end, the beet lying crosswise of the shelf 10,with its top projecting beyond the inner edge of the longitudinal slot 9cut in the shelf and in alinement with the circular saw 15, mounted on adriven cross shaft 15 located at approximately the upper end and abovethe surface of the inclined plane 8, the position of the saw being suchas to work through the slot 9 as the shelf moves beneath the same andcut or free the top from the held beet 16. In the present case, aplurality of the circular topping saws 15 are shown, one

for each of the endless carriers. Motion is imparted to the cross shaft15 carrying the circular saws 15 by means of the drive belt 16, which issuitably connected and driven from the drive mechanism of the apparatus.The upper sprocket wheels 11 for the enclless chain carriers 10 aresecured to a cross shaft 17 working in suitable bearings of the upperframe structure 2 of the machine frame, while the sprocket wheels 12 aresecured to a cross shaft 17 located at the forward end of the machineframe 1 and below the tables or platforms 9. The upper crossshaft 17constitutes the drive shaft for the endless chain carriers 10 and'motion is transmitted to said shaft from a counter shaft 18, working inbearings of the upper frame structure 2, by means of the driveconnection 18. The said shaft 18 is driven from the engine shaft by thedrive connection 18 The shaft 18 also operates the shafts 19 and 19',being placed into engagement wit-h the inner ends thereof by means ofthe slide clutches 20 and 20, which are operated by the attendant of themachine situated in the station 21 through the medium of suitable leversextended therein.

The shafts operated by the drive shaft 18 are provided on their outerends with a pinion 20 which mesh with the gears 20 on the end of theparallel shafts 21,to which are secured the sprocket wheels 22, overwhich work the endless sprocket chains 22, which with their connectingpieces form a cross conveyer 23. This conveyer works within thetransversely disposed runway 23, into which the topped beets aredeposited as propelled by the endless carriers 10 over the uppersprocket wheels 11, the same freeing themselves by their "own weightfrom the'impaling projection or tooth 1 1 of the shelves 10, and fallingby gravity onto the cross conveyer 23. This conveyer delivers the toppedbeets into wagons in attendance to receive the same, the said wagonsbeing located alongside of the machine, and receiving the topped beetsas discharged from the cross-conveyer 23. Preferably, two wagons areused to receive the topped beets, one at each side of the machine.Inasmuch as the direction of travel of the cross conveyer 23 may bereversed by the transmitting clutches 20 and 20, the delay incident tothe wait occasioned by having a loaded wagon removed and replaced by anempty one is overcome, for the moment one wagon becomes loaded, theoperator shifts the slide clutches to reverse the travel of the crossconveyer 23 so as to deposit the topped beets into an empty wagonlocated at the opposite side of the machine. By this means wagonslocated at opposite sides of the machine are alternately loaded and thecontinuous discharge of the topped beets is not interfered with.

For each endless carrier for propelling the beets to be topped towardthe line of circular saws 15, there is provided a division plate ordeflector wall 24, which is secured immediately above the inclinedplanes and beyond the line of circular saws. These division plat-esdirect the severed tops into the chutes 24, and thus prevent the samebeing discharged onto the cross conveyer 23. r.

The steering wheel 3 is controlled by the operator from his station onthe machine by means of the steering rod 25, which is operated throughthe medium of the handle 25.

In the working of the machine, the varione described parts being putinto operation, the beets, which are first plowed out of the ground, areplaced on the tables or platforms 9, at each of which an operator isstationed. As the shelves 10 of the endless carriers come into view, abeet is placed transversely thereon by the operator, the same beingimpaled on the projection or tooth 1 1 with its top in line with thecircular cutting saw. The beet as thus held is carried up the inclinedplane 8 to the said saw, which cuts or severs the top therefrom. As thetopped beet is carried beyond the sphere of the saw by the travel of theendless carrier, the division plate 24: guides the severed top into thechute 24, while the topped beet is deposited onto the, transverselymoving conveyer 23 and by the same carried toward and discharged into awagon alongside of the machine to receive the same. As one wagon becomesloaded with topped beets, the operator reverses the travel of theconveyer 23, so as to cause the discharge of the topped beets into anempty wagon located at the opposite side of the machine to be loaded.

ll hile a plurality of endless carriers for the beets to be topped, andcircular saws for removing the tops. have been described andillustrated, such is only for the purpose of increasing the capacity ofthe machine, for it is obvious that the use of the invention is notrestricted to a plurality of such co-acting instrumentalities, inasmuchas a single carrier and topping saw will answer in connection with areceiving conveyer for the topped beets. I

The essence of the invention resides in the employment of an endlesstraveling carrier for the beets to be topped, means for removing thetops of the beets as presented thereto by the endless carrier, withmechanism co-acting with the endless conveyer for receiving the toppedbeets and discharging the same into wagons to be loaded, the action ofthe working parts being automatic, so that the topping of the beets andthe loading of the topped beets into wagons is carried out as acontinuous operation.

Changes may be made in the construction of the various described workingparts of the apparatus without creating a departure from the nature ofthe invention, which resides broadly in co-acting instrumentalities fortopping the beets and loading the topped beets into wagons as acontinuous operation, whereby the double handling of the beets isavoided.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto protect by Letters Patent is- 1. In a device of the characterdescribed, a beet feeder, means for supporting beets transverselythereon, a beet topper overlying the beet feeder, a division plateoverlying the beet feeder and extending from directly in rear of thetopper to the discharge end of said feeder, beet receiving meansunderlying the discharge end of said conveyer, and means positioned atone side of said division plate for preventing the passage of the beettops onto said beet receiving means.

2. In a device of the character described, a beet feeder, means forsupporting beets transversely thereon, a beet topper overlying the beetfeeder, a division plate overlying the beet feeder and extendingdirectly in rear of the topper to the discharge end of the beet feeder,a beet conveyer underlying the discharge end of the beet feeder and adeflector plate underlying the beet feeder and overlying the beetconveyer, said deflector plate being positioned at one side of thedivision member overlying the beet conveyer, so as to receive the topsof the beets.

3. In a device of the character described, an endless feeder, a topperknife positioned thereabove, a division plate positioned above thedischarge end of the beet feeder and in alinement with the topper knife,shelves for supporting the beets carried by said feeder, and providedwith rear walls for engaging the beets, said rear walls being providedwith downwardly extending slots therein to permit the shelves to passthe topper and division plate.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

RALPH H. MOORE. Witnesses R. L. ADAMS, S. F. GILLIns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

